1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to guns which propel lightweight projectiles using compressed gas as a propellent. More particularly, it relates to an improved paint ball or other gas powered projectile guns such as BB or pellet guns, and a gas pressure regulator, a trigger mechanism, and a muzzle break for utilization in combination therein.
2. Prior Art
Compressed air powered guns, such as paint ball guns, BB guns, and pellet guns, function to fire a projectile using compressed air as the source of power to accelerate the projectile down an axial chamber from the breech end of a gun barrel and out the muzzle or distal end of the barrel, toward the toward the target. Such air guns are conventionally powered by compressed air from a gun mounted hand activated pump for compressing air from the atmosphere into a storage chamber on the gun, or, by a canister of highly compressed gas of the user's choosing, attached to the gun, and communicating pressurized gas through a conduit system to convey a regulated gas supply for propelling the intended projectile.
The devices disclosed herein are directed at an improved gas powered gun which uses one or more of the different assemblies disclosed herein to improve both the accuracy of the projectile fired from the gun as well as the actual mechanical performance of the gun. By using one, or all of the different improvements herein disclosed, an improved air powered gun is achieved.
Prior art in the area of air powered guns, and especially paint ball guns, use canisters of liquid CO.sub.2 or other compressed gas communicating high pressure gas supply to regulators to provide a regulated gas supply to the gun. Such guns using conventional regulators have a natural tendency to freeze due to the inherent frigid characteristics of liquid gases used in the canisters. Whether using CO.sub.2 or similar gasses, which frost immediately upon pressure decrease, or just compressed air, the regulators on prior art tend to freeze when highly compressed air from a canister is regulated down to a useable pressure for the gun. Currently, liquid CO.sub.2 and similar type gases are especially popular for such canister air supplies. Consequently gun performance can be severely inhibited when rapid fire of the gun causes repeated and increased cooling of the regulator which must lower the pressure supplied to fire the projectile when the trigger is activated.
Further, the regulators used currently, also tend to leave compressed air in the gun sufficient to power one more projectile down the barrel, even after the canister is removed from communication with the input side of the regulator. The result being a very dangerous situation wherein the gun appears to be safe with the air canister removed, while in fact, one more shot is possible if the trigger is pulled.
A second problem with current art in the field of air powered guns and more specifically paint ball guns, is the complexity of the trigger mechanisms. The complex systems of cams, rods, springs, and hooks, currently in use on air guns, leads to slow firing characteristics of the guns, and jamming of the plethora of parts contained in the trigger mechanism. Further, trigger pull pressures to activate the trigger of the gun tend to be excessively high, long, and not easily adjusted, causing finger and hand fatigue of the user as well as slow firing of the gun. However, in view of the natural tendency of regulators of air supply for such guns to freeze, this slow and excessively resistant trigger mechanism is frequently required to prevent conventional regulators from freezing up.
By using the regulated air supply from the low side of the regulator to return the trigger to firing position, and a simple air differential firing mechanism activated by a trigger pull, all such complicated parts to the mechanism are eliminated. Further, trigger squeeze adjustment is simply achieved by using a biasing means such as a spring and adjustment screw to help overcome the force of the regulated air holding the trigger forward in firing position.
Finally, conventional muzzle breaks used on air guns and especially paint ball guns, are formed using drilled holes or slots in the gun barrel in a direction perpendicular to the barrel. Such conventional venting allows for some of the compressed gas to the rear of the paint ball or other projectile to vent at the distal end of the barrel thereby allowing the projectile to exit the barrel with less disturbance of the air around it. The result being a lessening of gas pressure caused disturbance at the rear of the projectile and the lessening of the accuracy of the projectile to do air disturbance around it on an exit from the barrel.
With the high firing rate achieved by the improved freeze resistant regulator and the improved trigger mechanism allowing for faster firing, an improved muzzle break at the distal end of the barrel can provide even greater accuracy of the gun. By placing elongated oval slots in the distal end of the barrel parallel to the center axis of the gun barrel, and angling the sidewalls of the slots at an angle between 30 to 50 degrees, an active parsing of the gasses, rear of the projectile is achieved, rather than just an exit orifice for such gasses, as in convectional muzzle brakes.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,669,369 (Scott) teaches an improved regulator that exhausts the air propellent from the gun when the supply canister is removed. However Scott fails to address the tendency of such a device to freeze when a high fire rate is achieved and could possibly freeze and fail to release the last regulated air charge from the gun as well as causing a cease in operation while the canister is connected.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,788,298 (Hale) provides a trigger pull adjustment, however, Hale uses a complex system of springs and levers to activate the trigger and is prone to freeze up as well as mechanical disfunction during operation.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,228,427 (Gardner) addresses the issue of a muzzle break by using a plurality of holes in the barrel. However, the holes exit gasses using gas pressure inside the barrel rather than having sidewalls angled to help parse gasses from the barrel behind the projectile.
As such, there exists a need for an easily and inexpensively manufactured air powered gun, which provides for a regulated air supply to fire the gun which will not cause a freeze up of the regulator providing that supply. A further need exists for a simple trigger mechanism, which will alleviate jamming caused by mechanically complex triggers, and, provide for easy trigger travel and pull adjustment to user preferences. A further need exists for an improved muzzle break design which will actively parse gasses from the barrel, using angled sidewalls to achieve such, thus decreasing air turbulence imparted to the projectile on an exit from the barrel.